Plate holder for intaglio printing machines



Jan. '18, 1938.

R. W. BENDER PLATE HOLDER FOR IN'I'AGLIO PRINTING MACHINES Filed June15, 1936 INVENTOR, v oerf Z 76/707/T I ATTORNEYS.

' A yet further aim of the present invention is and coacting key-way 26in cylinder 8 so that 20 said plate so that the same might be securedconvex surface concentric to the axis of rota- 25 '30 arched plate. 34and it is obvious that this fin might be in- 30 5 ing drawing will befully described. In said in abutment with shoulders 32. The. other ends35 Patented Jan. 18, 1938 2,106,078

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PLATE HOLDER FOR INTAGLIO PRINTING MACHINESRobert W. Bender, Kansas .City, Mo., assignor to Inter-Collegiate Press,Kansas City, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Application June 15, 1936,Serial No. 85,339

6 Claims. (01. 101-478) This invention relates to intaglio printing ma-January 21, 1935, and this application is a conchines of the typewherein an arcuate printing tinuation in part of said application, whichreplate is employed, and the primary object is the lates to intaglioprinting machines. provision of an unique holder for the plate which Therotatable cylinder 8 upon which is mount- 5 has as a part thereof, meansfor removably seed one or more of the specially formed printing curing.the. plate in place, positive guide means plates, is a part of theprinting machine, and the for the plate, and structure whereby theentire plate holder embodying the invention is mounted arrangement,including the plate, might be upon said cylinder 8 for longitudinalmovement mounted upon a rotatable cylinder for adjusttherealong. Theplate holder per se comprises 10 ment longitudinally thereof. a two-partcollar, one of which parts I0 is 10 A still further object of theinvention is to provided with radially extending ears l2, throughprovide a specially formed printing plate for which is formed openings14 for the reception of intaglio printing machines, which plate isformed bolts or similar securing means IS. The other with an offsetportion adjacent one end thereof part N3 of the split collar hascoacting, radially 15 for the purpose of engaging a coacting elementextending portions provided with tapped open- 15 on the aforesaid plateholder and to the end that ings in axial alignment with openings 14 sothe printing surface may be positively freed of that said bolts 16 mightbe drawn tight when the excess ink or the like during work so that thecollar is secured in the desired position on cylinplate will not produceunsatisfactory results. der 8. A key 22 rests in key-way 2:5 in part 18the provision of a novel method of forming a movement of the two-partcollar about cylinder 8 plate for intaglio printing machines, which isprecluded.

method includes the steps of engraving. one side Part l8 has a radiallyextending fin 28, the of a flat planar plate and, thereafter, archingouter face of which is arcuate and presents a upon .a concavev surfaceand the work produced tion of cylinder 8. Fin 28 has as a part thereof,a therefrom without experiencing the effects of shoulder 32, againstwhich rests the end of printdistorted engraving which might occur if theing plate 34. In the instance illustrated, fin 28 engraving wereproduced upon an initially is extensive enough to accommodate two platesWith the foregoing general objects in view with cre sed n size s as o pprt at least one respect to the plate, holder therefor, and the otherplate. Shoulders 32 extend inwardly bemethod of producing said plate,the embodiment 10W face 30, and plates 34 are arranged o face of theinvention exemplified in the. accompany- 30 in end-to-end relation, withthe ends thereof drawing: of plates 34 extend over a recess 36 providedin Figure 1 is a side elevation of a plate holder fin 28, and after theplates have been mounted, for intaglio printing machines embodying thethe said other ends might be bent slightly ininvention and in operativeposition on the cylinwardly, as shown in Fig. l.

der of the machine. Eachof plates 34 has an offset 38 created 40 Fig. 2is a top plan view of th ame, thereon adjacent one end, and in practice,it Fig. 3 is an elevation of the other side of the is this end of plate34 that is considered to be plate holder shown in Fig. 1. the guide end.This offset portion 38 curves Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view throughthe inwa dly out of h n l pl n f h jor plate holder, with cylinder inelevation, taken on portion of plate 34 so that shoulder 32 might be 45line IV--IV of Fig. 1. engaged, and further so that any irregularitiesFig. 5 is an edge elevation of the formed plate at the end of plate 34 Wnot be effective in per se, and, catching and transferring ink to thestock. Fig. 6 is a cross sectional view through the Turning the oppositeend of plate. 34 inwardly as plate holder alone. indicated in Fig. 1 sothat it drop-s slightly into 50 The plate and plate holder forming thesubrecess 36 likewise is an advantage, especially ject matter of thisparticular invention is since the printing surface 40 of the plate mustespecially adaptable for use in engraving mabe wiped clean before theplate may be used effichines such as shown and described in my 00-ciently. This guide end of plate 34 is used when pending applicationSerial Number 2,700, filed following the method of producing an engraved55 printing plate, and because of such employment, little difficulty isencountered when setting the printing machine in operation.

Each plate 34 is secured in place on fin 28 by opposed clamps 42 and 44,the former being retained in place by bolts 46 that extend through clamp42 and into tapped openings 48 drilled into fin 28. Clamp 44 isspecially made and a single adjusting bolt 50 secures the same in place.Bolt 50 is in threaded engagement with a tapped hole 52 provided in fin28 and in order that clamp 44 might move away from the edge of plate 34when bolt 58 is loosened, a spring 54 is employed and combined with theparts as illustrated in Fig. 4. Spring 54 is seated in a socket 56 andbears against the inner face of clamp 44 at a point adjacent to bolt 50.A laterally extending flange 58 is integral with clamp 44 along theinner face thereof and at one of its arcuate edges, and an inturned,sharpened flange Bil is formed on the same surface of clamp 44 along theother arcuate edge thereof. Bolt 50 is between flanges 58 and 80 andwhen the bolt is tightened, spring 54 is compressed and sharpened flangeG is drawn tightly into engagement with the longitudinal edge of plate34. The inner face of flange 58 serves as a fulcrum point and theremaining portion of clamp 44 is spaced from the adjoining face of fin28. Under normal conditions, clamp 42 need not be moved when a printingplate is adjusted or replaced.

Any number of plate holders of the nature just detailed might be mountedupon cylinder 8 and, obviously, each will be independently movablelongitudinally along cylinder 8 so that the space between the severalholders employed may be increased or decreased, as desired. A plateholder of the character specified presents means whereby a large numberof calling cards, as an example, may be printed at the same time and onlarge sheets of stock in gang arrangement.

Plate 34 should be formed in a particular manner and the engraving 62 ofone face of plate 34 should be done before plate 34 is arched.Heretofore engraving of arched plates to produce intaglio printing haspresented its difiiculties because of the failure of the engraver tobring into consideration the curvature of the plate. When producing anengraved plate for use in my intaglio printing machine, the same shouldbe engraved while it is flat and subsequently arched and provided withan offset portion 38 through novel means forming the subject matter ofmy application filed on even date herewith. When engraving 62 is done,the end of plate 34 which is later offset with portion 38 should formthe end from which to gauge or place the line passing through the centerof engraving 62. When that center line is established and engraving 62imprinted on plate 34 so that it balances with respect to said line, theplacement of plate 34 in the holder with that offset end in engagementwith shoulder 82 will always present tothe operator something like anaccurate first impression.

Where several holders are mounted upon cylinder 8, key 22 maintains themall in alignment, and since each holder is alike, and further sinceoffset portions 38 and shoulders 32 are always brought together, theaforesaid center line of engraving 52 on every plate 34 should normallybe upon a common straight line extending across the large sheet of stockbeing printed.

Advantages set forth in the foregoing specification will be obtainedwhen using a plate holder and plate constructed in accordance with thisinvention, and while one preferred embodiment has been illustrated anddescribed, it is obvious that changes might be made without departingfrom the spirit of the invention or scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent is:

, 1. In an intaglio printing machine, a cylinder; a pairof arched plateseach having a printing surface thereon; a fin mounting the plates inspaced-apart, end-to-end relation on the cylinder in spaced relationthereto; clamps on the said fin for each plate respectively forremovably securing the same in operative position; and guide elements onthe fin for said plates, said guide elements engaging the remote ends ofsaid plates, said clamps engaging the plates along the arcuatelongitudinal edges thereof.

2. In an intaglio printing machine, a cylinder; a pair of plates eachhaving a printing surface thereon; a fin mounting the plates inspacedapart, end-to-end relation on the cylinder in spaced relationthereto; clamps on the said fin for each plate respectively forremovably securing the same in operative position and guide shouldersformed on the fin for said plates extending below the normalplate-supporting surface thereof, said plates each having an arcuateoffset portion at one end thereof for extending below the said normalsurface to permit the ends at said offset portions to engage saidshoulders.

3. In an intaglio printing machine, a cylinder; an arcuate plate, havinga printing surface thereon; and means for mounting the plate on thecylinder in spaced relation thereto comprising a twopart collar, aradially extending fin integral with one part of the collar having anarcuate platesupporting surface, and clamping jaws on each side of thesaid fin for engaging the longitudinal edges of said plate.

4. In an intaglio printing machine, a cylinder; an arcuate plate, havinga printing surface thereon; and means for mounting the plate on thecylinder in spaced relation thereto comprising a two-part collar, a.radially extending fin integral with one part of the collar having anarcuate plate-supporting surface, and clamping jaws on each side of thesaid fin for engaging the longitudinal edges of said plate, said finhaving a guide element formed thereon for engaging one end of theprinting plate.

5. 'In an intaglio printing machine, a cylinder; an arcuate plate,having a printing surface thereon; and. means for mounting the plate onthe cylinder in spaced relation thereto comprising a twopart collar, aradially extending fin integral with one part of the collar having anarcuate platesupporting surface, and clamping jaws on each side of theasid fin for engaging the longitudinal edges of said plate, said finhaving a guide element thereon for engaging one end of the printingplate and a recess provided therein for receiving a portion of theprinting plate at the other end thereof.

6. In an intaglio printing machine, a cylinder; an arcuate plate havinga printing surface thereon; and means for mounting the plate on thecylinder in spaced relation thereto, comprising a collar fitted onto thecylinder, a radially extending, relatively narrow segmental fin integralwith the collar having a pair of fiat sides in planes at right angles tothe axis of the cylinder, and clamping jaws on the said flat sides forengaging the arched longitudinal edges of said plate.

ROBERT W.- BENDER.

